


Selective Skills

by Flick (raynon)



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Jet, Pre-official Killjoys i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25493086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raynon/pseuds/Flick
Summary: Ghoul isn't part of the Killjoys just yet, but he proves his trust to Party and Kobra.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Selective Skills

**Author's Note:**

> i had no idea how to start this one, so sorry if it's a little rough  
> edit: i have no idea how landmines work pls dont @ me

Fun Ghoul had only known Party and Kobra for a week, and they’d figured they would take him out on a scavenge mission in Zone 2 after word spread around about an abandoned BLi warehouse. It was getting more difficult surviving with two people, and Kobra couldn’t help but notice the way his brother stared at other runner gangs in envy. Ghoul was still a bit sketchy, seeing they’d met in a crater of waveheads that he was pickpocketing, but Party was willing to take the risk.

They drove down off an exit of Route Guano and followed the black pavement until they could see the building from a mile away. Ghoul laid on his back with his feet sticking out the window, not saying anything unless the brothers had asked him any questions. When they arrived, though, he sprang to life and hopped out. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Kobra raised a brow, adjusting his sunglasses. “Yeah...okay.” He let Party lead the way, staying closer to Ghoul to study his movements. He could tell Ghoul was taking notice that he was being watched, but nothing was said between the two.

Ghoul shoved his hands in his pockets, keeping his gaze toward the ground as he shuffled small rocks with his boots.

Party, for one, was getting sick of the quiet. He’d taken Ghoul out here to know more about him, so he stretched out his arms and exhaled loudly. “So how many crews did you run with before?” he asked, turning on his heel so he could walk backwards. He figured it was a harmless enough question; it didn’t give away too much information about his past.

Then, something clicked and beeped.

“DON’T MOVE!”

Both brothers stopped. Party grew a gun on instinct and pointed it at Ghoul. “If this is some sorta stick-up--”

“There’s a fucking landmine under Viper’s boot.”

“Kobra.”

“Whatever. Lift your foot and we’re vulture barbecue.” Ghoul slowly lifted his own hands at chest level, and shifted forward. “It’s gonna be fine. Just...don’t move until I tell ya to.”

Party swallowed hard, but he didn’t lower his weapon.

Ghoul blocked out the threat from his peripherals, and he lowered himself down to his knees. “I got this.” He leaned down even further and blew the sand away from around Kobra’s boot until he could see the trigger, and he dug around it.

“Whoa, hold on--” Kobra hugged himself, suddenly unsure of how to function.

“Hey...Kid? Look at me.” Party waved a hand in Kobra’s direction to catch his attention. “We’re not dyin’ today. Remember? Dr. D’s expectin’ us at dusk and you know how he gets when we’re late.” He stammered for a moment, smiling nervously, and then he snapped his fingers. “You never told me what you wanted to about that, uh, the park. The one with the broken rollercoaster n’shit, remember?”

Kobra’s eyes shut for a moment.

“Keep looking at me, Kid!” Party reminded him, trying to keep his voice light. “Talk to me.”

“Yeah-- right. Uh--” Kobra’s shoulders sagged, his fingers twitching against his own ribs. “I-it was on the edge of Zone 6, nothin’ but scrap metal. I-I mean, scrap and a few working lights, I dunno how the fuck they still worked, but shit, they were so high up in the air, looked like blinkin’ red stars. I’m sure the whole place will be recycled in a year or somethin’.”

“That’ll be our next scrounge, then, huh? Find some good parts we can salvage for the AM, or maybe take our chances at any leftovers? Places like that usually got food that don’t expire.” Party chuckled.

“I’m gonna move your boot a few centimeters. Keep your weight down on it as much as you can,” Ghoul stated. When Kobra looked down, he saw a pocket knife in his hand. There was a more sizable hole uncovering the mine, but Ghoul had pried the center of the thing open already.

“Yeah.” It didn’t stop the flinching from being moved, but Kobra leaned forward anyway to follow Ghoul’s instruction.

“You’re doin’ great, Kid.” Party took a cautious step forward, glancing down to Ghoul to see if he’d react, and when he didn’t, he stepped closer again. He extended a hand out. “Just hold onto me, I’m right here.”

Kobra just stared at it at first, afraid that if he would move any part of his body, he’d fail them. But his brother’s hand was right there, something stable and comforting, and it almost felt like breaking through a wall of ice taking his hand. He was shaking so violently that it made Party’s smile vanish.

“There y’go.” Party straightened his back, and took another deep breath. “Ya got some rough callouses goin’ on there, didn’t know karate was so hard on the hands.”

Kobra shook his head. “It wasn’t the karate.” He desperately wanted to look down again, but his imagination was making Party scold him. “Uh...th...shit, okay. They’re from fixing the shelves in the diner. Fuck. How’s it going down there?”

“Goin’ good. I can tell you what I’m doing, if it makes things any better,” Ghoul offered. The way his voice was so oddly calm somehow made Kobra’s guts knot up, but he figured it was probably the anxiety.

Furrowing his brow at Party, Kobra sighed and nodded. “Yeah. H-how d’you diffuse a land mine?”

Party chewed on his lip.

“Okay. So what I first did was, there’s a panel you gotta open to, and a circuit board with some tiny-ass wires attached to it. They lead to the detonator and the fuel line, n’theres a little program that signals BLi in here that lets ‘em know when it goes off, or when it’s being fucked with. But I just disabled that part. Next part is actually disabling the explosion.”

“Party? I...feel kinda dizzy,” Kobra muttered.

“It’s almost done, Kid. I’ll hold you steady.” Party smiled again, pressing his other hand against Kobra’s back. “You’re a fuckin’ rock, dude.”

“Okay. Got it.” Ghoul slid away from the mine and wiped his knife off.

“Are you sure? Like, extra super sure with sugar on top?” Party asked.

Ghoul pushed himself to sit and brushed the sand off his shirt. “Yeah. Bombs are kinda my thing. Spent my childhood fuckin’ around with inactive ones and trying to make them active.” He looked up at them both. “Seriously. You can move."

Kobra’s nerves were alight with fear, but he found himself collapsing forward into Party’s arms. “I can’t fucking breathe, Destroya fuckin’ take me now.”

Party stumbled back, but he hugged Kobra tighter than ever. “We’re okay. We’re all good, all in one respective piece. Good job, Kid.” He kissed into his blond hair and helped him stand upright.

“Okay, well...we got one down,” Ghoul reminded them. “We should really be careful traversing this area now.”

“It’s probably best to just get outta here. Abandon this scavenge.” Party nodded for emphasis, though disappointment settled in the back of his mind.

Ghoul nodded in return, standing up. He slid his knife and a magnet in his pocket. “Okay, let’s just step in our previous footsteps for good measure.” Turning around, he stared at the ground and moved his leg forward, starting the trail.

Kobra and Poison followed his motions, still holding hands until they got back to the AM. When they were back on the road, they all shared a collective sigh of relief. Party just threw the driver’s door open and flopped down. “Holy fuck.”

Kobra circled around to the passenger’s seat, and Ghoul climbed in the back. Silence fell over them, save for the constant buzzing in the air, and quiet, yet heavy breaths. “Yo, Ghoul...thanks,” Kobra finally said.

Ghoul just gave a thumbs up.

* * *

Later on, when they made it to the station, Party was regaling Cherri and Dr. D about the day’s adventures in colorful detail. All in all, Party’s version was more tense and made Kobra sound a lot braver, but Ghoul and Kobra just nodded along in confirmation.

“That’s electric, Ghoul. Sounds like you’re the type’a high-roller that’s good to have in a tight spot.” Dr. D made a finger gun in his direction. “Why don’t you do us a solid and pick our next tune? Record boxes are in the other room.”

Ghoul bit his tongue. “Uh--” He scratched the back of his head. “...Could I get some help on that, maybe?”

“What d’you mean?” Cherri asked.

“Oh, I can’t read.” Ghoul shrugged.

Party and Kobra whipped their heads around to him. “You can diffuse bombs but you can’t read?” Party gawped.

“Hey! You can drive, but you can’t tie your own shoes--” Ghoul responded. “--Probably.”

Party’s lips remained parted for a moment, then he closed them, and opened them again. “...Oh, okay. Sorry.” He blinked and lowered his head. “Sorry, just threw me through a loop.”

“Anyway.” Ghoul side-stepped to the record room. “Just show me which one’s Black Flag.”

Kobra took the initiative and followed.

Party just chuckled to himself and shook his head. “I like him, he’d be good for us,” he thought aloud.


End file.
